Shy Guy
by Rasei
Summary: He was no prince charming, but she wasn't exactly a princess. Toph/OC


**Father  
**

**Author**: Rasei

**Beta by:** Mariah, Dawn, and Tanner

**Prompt**: Lin's Father

**Characters**: Toph, Lin

**Summary**: He was no prince charming, but she wasn't exactly a princess.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Avatar or Korra.

**A/N:** Prompt is given by Anthou.

* * *

Toph growing up never really thought about getting married. So she had fantasies about both Aang and Sokka, but she was just a child really. As she grew older, she never really thought about finding a man for herself. That was until she met him.

Tann wasn't important really. Just a simple fisherman, not even owning more than one boat. The people of the village he lived in ignored him, for he wasn't the nicest looking man. He never used his bending so the people in the town thought that he wasn't a bender. The people in the village were either benders or had a bender in the family, and looked down on anyone without bending. For the longest time, all he cared about was fishing for food and having a simple home. Then came the troubles.

The troubles had started about eight years after the war ended. Houses would burn down suddenly, and the fish in the water would suddenly pop up dead in the river. People started whispering about Tann, blaming him for the troubles. The leader of the village connected the Avatar and asked him to come. The Avatar came and with him came Toph, Katara, and Sokka. The four asked asked around for the culprit and everyone told them privately who they thought was the person.

It was a slightly rainy day, when Toph met Tann. He had been trying to capture some fish when she walked up to him.

"How the biting?" Toph asked Tann. Tann looked up then down.

"Fine. How the walking?" asked Tann, his voice was gravelly. Toph sits down next to him.

"It seems fine. Any idea on who is staring these fires?" Toph asked, staring ahead.

"It isn't a fire bender, I think. Someone is trying to make it look like a fire bender," Tann looked out to his pole. "Want a pole?" Toph tilted her head.

"I guess I could fish for a bit." Tann handed her his pole and leaned back. "So no one catches your interest?"

"The leader of the village has always acted a bit weird. When I first moved here, he was always against what the Avatar was saying. Inviting the Avatar here is a bit weird to me."

"Would you say he hates the Avatar?" ask Toph.

"Yeah. The only reason he is the leader, is the fact both his father and grandfather were good leaders. Or thats what I have heard. I could be wrong. I just overhead that, I don't talk to people a lot." Toph gave a laugh.

"You only talk to nineteen year old women?" Tann shaked his head.

"I only talk to people when they don't stare at me." Toph looked at him, Tann turned his face away.

"That is weird. Are you just shy or is it a physical problem? May I see your face?" Tann look at her with a raised eyebrow. As he opened his mouth, there was a tug on his pole. Toph pulls out the fish with a grin. The fish went over their heads and made a splatting noise. Tann looks to see a guy blinking at them with the fish still on his face.

"Again, Toph? Can you ever aim away from my face?" States the guy.

"Maybe don't stand behind me when I fish." Tann gave a soft laugh. The guy looked at Tann's face and Tann puted down his face. "I guess I have to go. Here is your pole back." Toph handed the pole to Tann, with a smile. Tann didn't say anything. "Sokka, don't stare at him."

Sokka turned his back. Tann waited for the laugh to come. "Okay, my back is turned. Maybe you should watch where you put the fish." Toph let out a laugh.

"I'm blind. What is your name?" Toph smiled at him, really goofy.

"Tann."

"I'm Toph. Nice to met you. Come on Sokka." Toph started pulling Sokka away. Tann turned to watch them leave.

"Nice to meet you too, Toph. Maybe... Maybe we could fish some more tomorrow." Sokka turned his head to study Tann. Tann just looked down with a slight blush. Sokka took in Tann's homely face and shortness.

"Sure, Shy Boy. Let get to work, Sokka." Tann looked as the two left and gave an unfamiliar smile. He didn't really smile, not since he was fifteen and his family was killed by fire benders. He picked up his bucket and went to his small shack. Tann just hoped that Toph would come by.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen. For another house caught on fire. The village decided that they should force Tann away or kill him. Tann had been working on another pole when someone gave a nervous knock on the door. He opened it to see one of the woman from the village.

"You need to leave. They are going to kill you if you don't." Tann nodded his head quietly to her. He turned his back and started pushing stuff into his leather bag he always kept nearby. He liked this village, but surely it was time to move on. He looked at the unfinished fishing pole and let out a sigh.

"I really wanted to meet her again," he mumbled. He shut his bag and left. There were already a few guys standing out there. Tann looked down. There was no way he could possibly defend himself. It almost felt like back when he was a teen.

_Hinata, age nine, was playing in the fields as Tann and their father were working. This area never had a lot of fighting in it, and sometimes it's hard to forget that there is a war going on. Their father tense up at the sight of steam in the distance._

"_Tann, take your sister and mother and go hide in the mountains. I need to go warn the village that Fire Nation is coming," states his father. Tann shook his head._

"_But, Father, I cannot just leave you here. Why cannot you keep Hinata and Mom safe, while I go to the village? I'm faster." His father finally nods his head._

"_Tann, be safe."_

"_Tanny is going somewhere?" ask Hinata. Tanner knelt down by his sister and looks her into the eyes._

"_Hinata, I will be back soon. Stay with Mom and Dad. You will be safe. I promise." Hinata gives a huge grin._

"_Of course I will be fine, silly pants. You are the clumsy one." Tann turns and starts running to warn the village."WAIT, BROTHER!" Tann turn to look at Hinata. Hinata picks up a small stone, and makes it into a small little sunflower. "Here you go. Make me one when you get home."_

_Tann nod his head with a grin. "Promise, Hinata."_

_Hours later, after the Fire Nation came and went, Tann went to find his family. The fifteen year old boy got to his house, to see it was still burning._

"_MOM! DAD! HINATA! WHERE ARE YOU?" Tann shouted. There was no reply. Tann starts wondering around shouting for them. He finally trip from not looking where he was going. Tann look down to see what he trip over. Raven black hair, in pigtails. Wide glazed over eyes. His sister on her back, with a long gash across her body. He look around to see his parents also laying there. He collapsed to his knees to look at broken bodies of his family._

"You are the one causing all this trouble, aren't you?" Stated the leader of the village. The leader of the village is stand before the group of villagers, with a grin appearing on his face. Tann allow himself to slowly shakes his head. Not looking at the group, he whispers,

"I'm not. Allow me to leave."

"No real words in defending yourself. Just that low mumble of agreements." Tann lift his head to see the woman that warn him smirking slightly. "The firebender is trying to run away, knowing at last that we were on to him." Tann bit his lip. The last time he spoke loudly was promising Hinata.

"Stop this!" Tann look to see the airbender. The airbender landed before him. The man look around twenty with no hair. Three people broke from the crowd. Tann noticed the woman from earlier, was one of the them. "You have no proof it was him."

Sokka look at him with a slight smile. "Shy guy, did you leave your house tonight?" He takes out a boomerang as he ask. Tann shook his head.

"No I... I stayed inside the whole time," whisper Tann.

"Tann, look at me." Tann look at Toph. "I will not allow anything to happen to you."

"Avatar, it doesn't help that he was running. Move it." Tann notice some of the other benders were get ready to fight. Tann felt his body tense up, as he slide his hand into his pocket. He grab onto the small stoned sunflower he carried.

"No. It seems a little fishy that you decide to kill him the day we arrive. Also, we have good faith that maybe you are the one setting the fires," states Avatar. Tann lets in a breath as the other villagers start looking at each other. The Leader smirks softly.

"How dare you, Avatar. I invited you to help us, but you decide help the firebender. So..." The Leader of the village sent rocks at the Avatar. The Avatar use airbending to block it. "LOOK HE SENT THAT WALK TOWARD SOME CHILDREN! Protect them."

The other benders start attacking the group. The people in front of Tann start fighting. 'Why are they protecting me?' Thought Tann. Why are they risking so much?

"Shy Guy, get out of here. We don't need to worry about you at this second." Tann nods his head and starts running. He turns to see one of the village children crying softly. Tann always avoid her because how she look like Hinata. His hand went into his pocket again to the little sunflower.

'What would Hinata think?' Thought Tann. "She would have hated what I have become," Tann whisper walked to the kid and knelt down. "Get to your house. It's a bit dangerous here." The girl nod her head and ran off. Tann stood up and turn around. He sees a villager about to hit the avatar's back. Tann uses his bending to create a wall at the avatar's back. Tann takes another steps closer, shutting his eyes. He takes in breath then shouts,

"Stop this pointless fight! I'm not a firebender. You guys haven't even check the facts." People turns to look at Tann. Tann notice the pretty waterbender was healing a wound of Sokka's. "That guy started the fires! He was trying to set up a case for attacking the avatar!" The leader starts to spitter.

"How dare you claim such a thing! You are the damn person that invade our town." Tann clenches his hands.

"One person moving into a town isn't invading! My family was killed by the Fire Nation when they invaded my hometown! I have no reason to LIE! I challenge you a duel one on one, bending only." The whole village was quiet and the villagers were in shock, for the almost mute fisherman was yelling. His face was still looking down, but he seem to be larger. The leader of the village let out a laugh. There was no way this person could beat him.

"Fine." The avatar starts to step in the way, but Toph stops him.

"Let let them fight this out. Shy Guy need to do this himself, Aang." Toph gives Aang an unsure smile. Aang nods his head.

"But look at what is happening..."

"Twinkle Toes, I'm blind." She waves her hands in front of her face.

"Oh yeah." Sokka laughs.

"You should have learned after how many years?" Aang made a face and looks away.

"What ever."

Back to the two, the leader of the village sent a rock at Tann. Tann made a wall then threw the rock back at the leader. Tann then dodge from behind the wall, and made more rocks fly. The leader of the villager flew back after his shoulder gets hit. The leader makes a stone wave that heads toward Tann. Tann gets out of the way, but the wave change paths. Tann uses his bending to make a wall, then jumps on top of it. He then tosses a rock at the leader, who dodges to the right. Tann then creates a pillar of earth that hits the leader. He was about to do a different attack, when someone else step in the way.

"Tann is right. Hako and I just went to Leader's hut and found this!" The guy held? up a bag of coal, like the coal that could have been what was starting the fires. Leader shook his head.

"That is a lie. He must have planted it there." Tann shook his head and start earthbending the ground back to normal. "LET GO OF ME! I was just trying to protect my village from those stupid arrogant trespassers." Tann turned his back and starts walking.

"Where are you going, Shy Guy?" asked Toph. "You were proven innocent."

"I just don't want to be here anymore." Toph tug his arm. He look her into the eyes.

"Then come with us." Tann nods his head. "What's your answer?"

"Okay."

That is the story of how the two met. They would fall in love and have a kick-ass daughter. Tann was no prince charming though and Toph was definitely not a princess.


End file.
